“The novel is a machine for generating empathy.”
What this quote means
Énard's metaphor highlights the novel's unique power: it thrusts us into another's skin, making us feel their joys and sorrows. By sensitizing us to different lives, fiction broadens our understanding and connects us to our shared humanity. It resonates when we feel trapped in our own perspective or seek to cultivate compassion.
How to apply it daily
Read a novel from a perspective very different from your own, and note how your emotions track the character's.
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